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Tim Scott Makes History With Appointment to U.S. Senate

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley appointed Rep. Tim Scott to be the replacement for outgoing Sen. Jim DeMint. The move was highly anticipated since DeMint announced that he would be departing the Senate on December 6th.

Scott, a Tea Party favorite, will bring a strong message of conservative principles to the Senate; one that is centered around limited government, lower taxes, and free enterprise.

In the press conference announcing her appointment of Scott to the Senate, Gov. Haley noted the historic significance applied to her decision. “It is important to me, as a minority female, that Congressman Scott earned this seat,” Haley said. ”He earned this seat for the person that he is. He earned this seat with the results he has shown.”

Prior to being elected to the House of Representatives in 2010, Scott worked at an insurance company and was also involved with real-estate. He served on the Charleston City Council in 1995 and was selected to be the statewide chairman of the late Sen. Strom Thurmond's senatorial campaign. He is a staunch believer in school choice and tuition vouchers, both are strong assets to his conservative credentials.

At the press conference, Scott immediately turned his focus toward the frail and anemic economy, "I look forward to pressing the flesh on economic development issues, having the opportunity to work on making sure that our economy in this state continues to hum like an engine and get on the team with Nikki Haley to make sure that all of America continues to hear the great things about South Carolina."

Scott is now the lone African-American in the Senate. He is the first black Republican Senator since Edmund Brooke in 1979 and first Republican Senator in the South since Reconstruction.

While the mainstream media has long attempted to label the Tea Party and Republicans as “old, rich white men” and “racists,” Tim Scott debunks that liberal myth. He broadens the GOP’s appeal and brings a sense of leadership that Washington so desperately needs.

In retrospect, the Tea Party is to thank for the diversity and appeal that is attributed tot he modern-day conservative movement. It produced victories for Hispanic New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, newly-elected Hispanic Sen. Ted Cruz, and the well-known Cuban-American, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who is rumored to be one of the favorites to occupy 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in 2016.

Not everyone was pleased to hear about Tim Scott’s promotion. Liberals began to conform to their usual race-baiting whenever a black conservative gleams in the spotlight. Radio show Amos Brown managed to express a distasteful and hateful sentiment towards Scott via Twitter (@Amoswtlcindy). "Gee, courtesy of S. Carolina GOP, the nation gets Tim Scott an ultra-rightwing, Tea Party devotee US Senator who's Black only in skin color."

While it is typical of the left to invoke a senseless notion that black conservatives are less authentic for their stances and beliefs, it is important that the narrative be centered on true substance: jobs, growing the economy, and strengthening the middle class.

Tim Scott is not only a symbol of racial progression and diversity, but he embodies the American dream. He is someone who came from very humble roots, experienced many challenges along the way but with hard work and dedication has become a powerful voice for liberty. He will be positive force in the United States Senate.

I hate race based vitriol: "courtesy of S. Carolina GOP, the nation gets Tim Scott an ultra-rightwing, Tea Party devotee US Senator who's Black only in skin color." I find this comment in the above article both appalling and telling. First, it highlights the extreme prejudice that some minorities (and their supposed supporters) still hold for the white majority. Second, it highlights the hypocrisy in the concept that "black" issues and supporters are monolithic and can only be identified by skin color.
In this country, we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King, whose famous "I have a Dream" speech, with its immortal phrase "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." We have made great progress since that day, but we have not yet perfected that dream.
Now, we have a President who is in the perfect position to break down the remaining vestiges of that great divide. A man with one black parent, and one white parent. Yet, he has not used his mixed heritage to minimize the remaining racial differences in our country. He accentuates his "black" heritage, hardening the lines of conflict - increasing envy and contention between one group and another.
Our Founders put equality in the Constitution for a reason. They knew at the time that there was some hypocrisy in the document - some states would not relinquish the benefits of slave labor. But they believed that the institution would fail, as it did 100 years later. It took another 100 years for real racial equality to be established. Now, it is time to abolish the verbal race based debate. We should not take 100 more years to finish this process.

The U.S. Capitol Building may be closed for the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, but there will be plenty of action in the adjacent Senate office buildings. Confirmation hearings on eight of President-elect Trump's cabinet nominees are expected this week. This follows confirmation hearings on six nominees last week. Initially, more confirmation hearings were expected last week, but some delays were announced. The House is expected to convene on Friday.

What do conservatives stand for? In theory, they’re supposed to support less government intervention in markets, responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, an equal playing field under the law, and a commitment to protect the rights of individuals over the special interests of certain well-connected groups.

Whew, it’s been a tough week. Looking back on the last five years and all the harm ObamaCare has done to this country is a real downer. In order to head into the weekend on a slightly lighter note, let’s conclude our series with a little frivolity, the five best quotes about ObamaCare.

The House passed an amendment on June 19 to require the National Security Agency (NSA) and other intelligence agencies to obtain a warrant prior to collecting the communications of American citizens. This is pretty basic stuff, and it’s not a partisan issue - the amendment passed with the support of 158 Democrats and 135 Republicans.

FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe comment on Rep. Labrador's leadership run, "Rep. Labrador's impressive performance is indicative of a growing liberty caucus that is ready to make a policy agenda of individual liberty and fiscal responsibility a priority in the House. We are looking forward to an even bigger group of liberty leadership candidates after the elections in November."

WHAT: FreedomWorks and Young Americans for Liberty at Bowie State are hosting a "Black Empowerment and Economic Opportunity" panel discussion led by FreedomWorks Outreach Director Deneen Borelli. Panelists on both sides of the political aisle will debate topics including entrepreneurship, school choice, financial literacy, and growing the economy in urban communities.

This week, the GOP Executive Committee in South Carolina unanimously voted to reject Common Core standards. The resolution, which can be viewed here, is a huge step forward in the fight against Common Core.

Demographics matter, and after the disappointing 2012 election results, the GOP has decided it may be a good idea to focus on growing the party by reaching out to the youth and minority communities. Ignoring certain demographics will continue to hurt the party, as will ignoring key issues. Just like during the 2012 campaign cycle, the GOP is leaving out a key issue that could not only grow the party, but more importantly, could help millions of children receive a better education. I'm referring to school choice.

Tuesday night was pretty bleak for those of us that value freedom and liberty in state governance. Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli mounted a valiant effort against a very well funded Democrat, Terry McAuliffe but fell just short of victory.